Abstract

A mother goes several changes during the post-partum period. Looking around various clinical setups provided us with the observations that reflect lack of understanding on the holistic care concepts for mothers in order to bring a healthy experience of postpartum. We observed the practices for particular time being and looked into literature for a relevant solution in form of a model that ensures all core concepts of care with holistic system during post-partum. Our activities revolved around the perinatal health promotion model involving mothers, health care providers, fathers and other care givers.

Postpartum period is an essential time in a woman’s life after delivery. Nurses and Midwives have an essential role in promoting healthy practices among women for a successful post-partum. But the practice is not usually observed as it is expected. Most of the time quick and relevant physical assessments and interventions are practiced to complete documentations as a role of Nurse and Midwife. Over all holistic health promoting interventions are neither practiced nor advised in our context. The paper reflects the need of holistic health promotion during post-partum in lieu of witnessed mothers in a private secondary healthcare setup in an urban city of Pakistan.

A basic literature search was done to find out any model, theory, frame work or any other relevant details to create the basis for the holistic interventions upon that model. Also, it was aimed to share with the health care workers taking care of mother’s in the healthcare setup so they can integrate those essential things into their care and practice [1].

For this purpose Fahey & Shenassa’s proposed Perinatal Maternal Health Promotion Model (Figure 1) was utilized. The model revealed systemic these and lists relevant strategies for mothers. From those contextual and applicable strategies were picked and shared with mothers and their care givers. These strategies could be practiced to ensure a better post-partum period for women through holistic approach.

Figure 1:

As it is a growing need to develop a systemic pattern for enhancing the experience of women in the days after delivery so it was highly recommended to build capacity among health care providers to observe, intervene and evaluate the outcome related to proposed strategies to improve health promotion practices in post-partum. Also, care givers include women who can take care of new mothers at home, were taken into account and involved during teaching sessions.